See Red Again
by Fedora Krieg
Summary: Vampires what is it about these night stalkers that have seduced us into their dark literature? Is it their immortality? Their lust of blood and seduction? Ask yourself this: do you believe in vampires? For you may think it's myth, then again so did I..
1. Bitten

**See Red Again**  
_HylianBard_  
Horror 

**Chapter One**

Some people think it is a blessing to be immortal. A sheer gift from whatever god they believe in. To never die. To be invulnerable. To see all the ages of the world, explore what time brings, experience new sensations, see new sites. Being immortal… isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I've been among the living dead for about a half a year and already I wish I were dead. I feel nothing. I feel no sun, I feel no ocean sea breeze, I can't feel the wind against my cheeks, nor can I feel the warmth of the living I once took in vain. I am dead inside. I have no pulse, no heart beat, I need not breathe. But I move and think like those who are blessed with the ability to draw air deep into their lungs. I am cursed. Cursed to live among the fortunate…but it serves me just.

I was the best of the best. Top notch. Unbeatable, feared by all! I used to kill for pleasure, the love of the warm blood on my hands, the terror in my victim's eyes; the joy of another victory to knock in my blade. But one day I picked the wrong person to mess with…

It was night, an unusually cold night for the early summer. Sake made up most of my blood. Another victory and we were celebrating a local bar. Maybe… I shouldn't have had so much to drink…

As I stumbled down the windy street, nearly falling on my face five times, once actually succeeding, I ran into the back of a tall man. He wasn't a big guy. He was scrawny, weak, his arms limp twigs. I could snap him in half with two fingers. My blood alcohol way beyond that of a stable level, the idea of he running into me settled as reality.

"Hey… watch it… thwerp…" I slurred. I kept swaying, my legs threatening to give beneath me.

"Excuse me," he said in a polite, deep tone that didn't match his frame in the least. "Are you alright?"

Now, to a drunken slosh, it sure as hell didn't sound like "Excuse me, are you alright?" Oh no, not in my ringing and drowning ears. It came out more of a: "Excuse me, are you up for a fight?" Never drink sake.

I stumbled to my left and nearly fell but the scrawny man grabbed my arm and settled me sturdily on the ground. "Easy," he instructed softly. Nice guy. To bad I was intoxicated.

"Oy, get yer grimy hands…off me," I sloshed again and took a swing at him. I twirled on my toes like one of those English ballerinas. It was probably an amusing site to see. I missed him by a long shot.

"Settle down," he said firmly. "I'm trying to help."

The next few minutes ran in a blur, or vanished from my like water does to ink. The last thing I could remember was lying on the ground in the most pain of my life. There were several broken barrels and support beams and a broken window. Blood dripped down my forehead and I think my legs were broken. Well, that all explained the damaged surroundings.

Then a tall, masculine but lean man stood before me. His gi ripped exposing a tanned torso and a peculiar tattoo on his chest: some tribal art from a foreign land. Beneath it was I assume a stanza in some weird language. Latin perhaps? I dunno.

I looked around. Where was that little shrimp?

The Tribal Man hoisted me up by the front of my gi to look into those terrifying, gray eyes with bursts of orange around his pupil and the outer rim of his iris. His pupils contracted to little black dots, probably no bigger than a grain of sand.

"You think you're the best?" He sneered and slammed me into a brick fence. I heard a few cracks, most likely my bones… "You think you can tell anyone and everyone what to do?"

He smashed me into the fence again.

"Do you think you can do anything you want?"

Smash.

"Underestimate your opponent?"

Smash.

"Without the slightest idea on whom or _what_ they are?"

Smash.

My head was spinning now. My back hurt like hell. And I tasted thick blood in my mouth. "What do you mean '_what they are'_?" I dared to ask. He smirked and released my gi, allowing me to topple to the dirt in a painful hunch.

"Tell me, _Battousai,_ do you believe in _vampires_?" His demented gray and orange eyes shot right through me, daring me,_ just daring me_, to say no.

The fact is, I didn't. I heard about them from a bunch of English traders on the harbor one day. One said that a woman in their village went mad. She was infected with some disease I've never heard of, ran out of her cottage, and attack a chicken coop and devoured them alive. She died before they could burn her. The other man disagreed, said she was a bloodsucking agent from the Devil himself. She crept out of her house at night and drank the blood of her victims. Her husband found out, but being so much in love with her, instead of turning her in, he locked her in the cellar and fed her vegetables, hoping to silence the bloodlust that haunted her. It didn't work. He said that she clawed at the wooden doors until she should break through it, then drank the blood of cows and goats to satisfy her hunger. Some boys saw her eating their livestock and plunged a wooden stake through her heart, causing her to die.

What a load of bullshit.

But right now, I wasn't so sure.

"Do you?" He repeated.

I did my best to think logically in my drunken state but, alas, it failed. "Ha," I hiccupped, "Those blood sucking…hic…leeches? Hardly!" I gave a harsh, laugh which quickly turned into pain and coughing.

This angered him. He picked me up again, smashing me against the fence, and got an inch from my face. "I will prove you wrong…"

Everything went black after that.

When I woke up, I was sober and numb, well just about. There was a god awful pain in my neck. Hot and cold at the same time, like icy fire. I slapped my hand to my neck to meet something runny and warm. I put my hand in front of my face. It was bloody. I returned my hand to my neck and stumbled to a near coy fountain and stared at my reflection. I nearly fell back with what I saw…

My skin lost its tan complexion and turned icy and dead. Dark circles surrounded my eyes, making me look sick with some rare and fatal African disease. I felt sick. That's all. Just sick. My skin felt like paper, every time when my clothes brushed against my arm with was like being struck with ten thousand horses at once.

I looked around and was shocked at how well I could see in the dark. It was as if it was the middle of the day. Everything was so sharp, so clear, so, so, vivid…

There was something nagging in the back of my mind. I couldn't tell what it was but I was willing to bet my sword that it was related to the dreadful thirst famishing my mouth. I dipped my hand in the fountain and took a long drink of water. It didn't work. So I took another drink, and another, and another…

Nothing was working. With each sip of water my thirst grew worse! My mind scanned over all possible drinks that could quench my thirst but nothing seemed appealing. My throat burned and my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.

What was going on?

* * *

**A/N:** OO Kenshin has a vampire! ZOMG (zombie! ohmigod!)! Or should I say: VOMG! (vampire! omigod!) I was bored and in a dark mood and wrote it...but anyway  
So this was the first chapter. More on the way! I warn you, future chapters are _quite graphic_. So if you are squeamish you might want to skip the chapters with the warning (which will be clearly labeled).  
R&R! 


	2. Blood

Chapter Two

By now, I was in a panic. I was so thirsty I thought my tongue would swell and burst. I tore away from the fountain and limped around through the darkness, tearing down barrels in alley ways in search for rum, dunking my head into fountains, but nothing—STILL NOTHING worked. I needed something! Anything! This God forsaken thirst was driving me mad! I could feel the black insanity churn and cultivate deep within my body. That scared me. Actually _feeling_ insanity take root and grow is disturbing beyond question.

I backed up against a wall and slid to the ground. Voices in my head began whispering in a crescendo of whirling wind. They all said the same thing but they were not coherent in the least. The voices grew louder, screaming and tearing at my mind. Their subliminal message dug fiery hot claws into my brain and tore it about. Screaming. Screaming. But what! BUT WHAT GOD DAMNIT!

…Blood.

What?

…Blood…

What about blood!

Blood.

Yes…blood. Blood sounded appealing. Oh God why did that sound so appealing? Why did something so morbid and gruesome make my mouth water and my mind race? Whatever the reason I suddenly had a monstrous, _inhuman_ desire for this crimson fluid. But the desire for blood that I felt now was different than before. It seemed more driving, more necessary.

"Excuse me sir! Are you alright! Can you hear me?"

I looked up to see an old man looking down at me. His brow was creased with thousands of tiny wrinkles and in the corner of his cold blue eyes were tracks of crow's feet. He hunched over an old, knotted and bent cane; he probably stood no taller than a thirteen year old girl. Deep in his eyes, beneath his bushy eyebrows, I could see compassion and worry within his soul.

"Sir, I asked can you—"

I didn't give him anymore time to speak; I lunged right at him, digging my fingers into his collar bone and ripped his neck apart with my mouth. He didn't even have a chance to scream out. My gums broke and bled as my two incisors grew to an abnormal length and plowed into the vein in his neck. Oh succulent reservoir of life: never run dry!

The blood tasted good in my mouth and felt good on my throat. It soothed its calluses that patched in rough groups from my dehydration. The black insanity dancing inside me began to subside to almost nothing, but I still knew it was there. And I had a strong feeling it wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. I mean, why would it? I was draining an old man of his blood with my mouth? Was I not a madman?

When I could drink no more I pulled away, breathing heavily and eyes widened to their maximum. My God…that was like nothing I have ever experienced in my life. I was never so scared, thrilled, and relieved like that. I liked that feel—no; I loved it. I wanted more and more and more! I could drink until my victim's blood spewed from every pore on every inch of my body. No one could take this lust away from me. No one! If anyone tried so God help them I'd drain them too! The power! The exhilaration! The blood…!

I pulled myself up and noticed right away how my strength had returned. I held my head high and proud like I once did, the only difference was that glint in my eyes. It wasn't the passion of battle or from the knowledge of knowing I was the best; it was from blood and its role to my well being. How could I have over looked the amazing taste of this? As many times as it has splashed on my face I never realized its taste. I was mystified at how stupid I could be.

I stared at my palms as if they were meters to my new found power. God or Satan whoever gave me this cursed gift; thank you for the power. Whoever did it shall soon take regret for I will be unstoppable! I will be deadlier than before! And I cannot die for my heart already gives no pulse! Sweet everlasting life and Crimson Wells, let us dance and rejoice on this eve!

I clenched my fists and went off into the night like the silent shadow I have now become. My feet made no sound and my ki gave no hint of my presence.

Tonight…I shall feast. God help whoever comes across me.

* * *

Uhg sorry I made this chapter so short. I'm not very good at writing very long chapters in first person. I'll be adding chapter 3 today as well to make up for this short little paragraph. lol. Thanks for the reviews! I loved them so much!

**ELLIE 31773: **. here ya go! Hope you enjoyed!

**Rachee-chan: **thanks rachey! huggle

**Ame Ulan: **Thank you! Heh heh, the funny thing is I was listening to the song while I was writing the review and I thought it would catch people's attention. Obviously it did! OO feels stalked lol

**kenji's girl: **yah, I know, Kenshin being a vampire is totally kewlio! > thank you!


	3. Holy

Chapter Three

Why was I not informed of the sensitivity to light? I never thought the sun would betray to the point of my face blistering and burning just by taking one step out into its rays. I'm now stuck in a dark and dank bar for about twelve hours until the sun goes down. Even in there my eyes burned and felt as if they were going to burst. I kept to the corner, wrapped up in my gi with my chin down to my chest and watched all the drunken slobs and vile harlots go about their disgusting lives. Few times a girl with long black hair and sapphire eyes asked me if I "wanted to have a good time". My mere response was a low pitched hiss and narrow eyes. The bitch nearly soiled herself and skittered away.

While I sat there in my little cob-webby booth, sipping on some _expensive_ imported red wine (which is actually quite delicious), I learned news that a European government official was coming to negotiate and offer goods and weapons to Japan. Odd, I thought. Why is Europe interested in us? Politics bugged me: I didn't understand it nor did I wish to.

"Be careful going home, Kohta," the bar keep bid as a tall man with a long black pony tail began to walk out, "There were four murders last night. Each one found with two punctures in their neck and some body parts missing."

I smirked.

The man turned around to show a large scar spanning from his forehead, across his right eye, and touching his chin and gave the bar keep a thumbs up. "Don't worry I'll be fine. No murderer is going to get me any time soon."

Oh really? I beg to differ…

The bar keep didn't seem satisfied. "Still, get home soon. It's getting dark."

I looked out the window; my ass it was almost dark! It was just now twilight! It wouldn't be dark for another forty-five minutes or so! Paranoid son of a—

"Alright, alright, fine whatever. See ya tomorrow, Setsuna-san." He bowed his head deeply and exited the building. The bar keep gave him a wave of his hand and glanced over at me warily as he had been doing every hour since I stumbled in there at 6:20 that morning. Obviously I was of some discomfort to him.

After about half an hour, I figured it was dark enough for me to leave without my skin going through Purgatory and Hell so I left my little cob-webby corner booth and left, giving the bar keep a charming grin as I left. If he wasn't Catholic, he could've passed as one as he made the cross on his body.

My eyes screamed in the fading light but I chose to fight through it. Whatever doesn't kill me only makes me stronger, right?

Dark clouds formed in the indigo sky, blotting out all the stars that were inked across the sky. A low wind rustled through the streets and seemed to stab my face with tiny needles. I couldn't help but think it was God's breath trying to torment me. Ha, let him try all he wanted, he wasn't going to scare me into the dark.

I rolled my neck and began down the road. I was relieved when the clouds in the sky fully dominated the sky and covered all of the excess light. My senses heightened, taking my eyes and my nose on a wild ride. I could detect the smallest cut if blood was there, I could see even the darkest of shadows move, and I could even hear the scratching of rats in the allies.

I saw Kohta at the end of the street staring into a bridal shop. He let out a sigh and a smile climbed onto his lips. His fingers ran across the glass and outlined the mannequin modeling a beautiful white kimono with soft pastel blue flowers decorating the soft green vines that ventured and twined all along the outfit. Even I had to admit it was gorgeous. I casually walked up beside him and admired the dress.

"That's a beautiful dress," I said quietly as my eyes took in ever stitch and every pattern it held.

"It is…" he answered.

"Are you, getting married?" I laughed inwardly, "Or are you just curious?"

He laughed out loud. "Funny, very funny, but yes, I am."

That caught me off guard. My head snapped to him with wide eyes. "Um…I'm sorry but…"

Understanding what I thought, he waved his hands in protest. "No, no, no! _Yes_ I am getting _married._"

I let out a chuckle of relief. "Apologies."

"Think nothing of it." He turned back to the kimono, "I wish I could afford this for her."

I then suddenly realized the Thirst was back with full force. The voices in my head swirled and screamed in their gruesome choir for blood. I looked Kohta up and down and devised a plan quickly. I acted naturally and let my charm and words flow smoothly. "I could lend you funds…" I said slowly.

His blue eyes brightened. "What? Really? Why? I couldn't possibly—"

I chuckled. "A woman should have anything she wants on her wedding day," I nodded to the kimono, "Everything should be perfect."

"I really couldn't accept such a generous—"

"Nonsense," I insisted, trying to keep my cool as the morbid maelstrom in my head gained force, "I'd be happy to."

"Sir, thank you! Thank you! I _will_ pay you back!"

"Don't bother," I said, "Consider it a gift. Just follow me and I'll get you the money." I started to walk away from the shop and down the road.

"Today? Thank you!" Poor, ignorant fool. He had no idea what was coming did he?

I rounded a corner and picked up the pace as I tried to lead him far away to where no one would find us. His feet quickened with mine and faithfully followed me through a maze of corners, allies, and plazas. I was finally satisfied with a location—a deserted neighborhood with burned buildings which looked like a haunted ghetto—I froze and turned around.

"Um, is this where you live?" He asked; anxiety in his eyes but his voice strong and brave.

I spat. "You are a fool, do you honestly think someone would offer you money to help pay for a kimono?"

He looked taken aback.

"I'm about to reconsider my plans for I don't like the idea of feasting on an idiot's blood."

"You're—"

"Going to kill you," I finished with a twisted grin on my face, "Oh yes. And you have no way out." He tried to turn and run but I leapt on him and pinned him to the ground, my fingernails digging into his shoulders. My eyes blazed with insanity and lust.

_Blood, _raged my gothic choir,_ Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood!_

I opened my mouth wide and let my teeth grow to their full size and emitted a hiss.

"Jesus Christ! Devil; be gone!"

I cackled. "I guess you were wrong about the murderer not getting you…" His pupils became no bigger than a pin head; horror shook in his soul and it died immediately as I plunged down to his neck and indulged in my sweet rapture. Low hisses and growls emitted deep from within my throat as blood poured in clots down into my stomach.

His neck was mauled by the time I was finished; that is, if you think a bone with scraps of meat and flesh hanging off here and there is considered a neck. Gore smeared itself all over my face and dripped off my chin onto my chest. Oh, how sweet it tasted. There was something different about his taste though. Be it his personality, his soul, or his blood type, it was different and I liked how it tasted.

"Hello? Who's out there?" A voice belonging to probably a girl in her mid teen years called out through the darkness. Quickly, I vanished from my puddle of blood by Kohta and into the shadows of a partially burned building and hid. I couldn't understand why, but there was just something about the feel of this new presence that made me wary. A young girl, probably no older than sixteen, stepped into the deserted ghetto, clutching a blanket around her shoulders and holding a torch up to light her way. I braced my sharp ears for the shrill keen that I sought coming, but it never came. Instead she kneeled down beside the disemboweled carcass and inspected it, _examining_ his neck and touching the already rotting skin. I stared in shock; I didn't think _anyone_ wouldn't pass out at that sight much less _poke and touch _it.

She slowly rose to her knees and whirled around, throwing the torch this way and that. I couldn't see her face, but from the glow and shadows of the torch that fell on her face, I could tell that she looked pissed.

"Come out you demon!" she muttered just loud enough for me to hear, "Show yourself to me…" I almost considered stepping out into her view but I decided against it. She returned to Kohta and kneeled by his side and took a round glass bottle from her side. She popped the cork off and poured it over the body. Instantly, black smoke rose from his body with the most acrid smell I ever had the displeasure to inhale. With that, she muttered a blessing beneath her breath and ran off from where she came.

Once I was sure she was gone, I jumped down to study the body. It looked just like it did before only wet. I began to walk away when I accidentally kicked the bottle she had used. I bent down to pick it up and instantly my hand felt as if it were lit on fire. I screamed in pain and tried to drop the bottle but it seemed to have melting on my hand. The smell of burning flesh assaulted my nostrils and burned my sensitive eyes. I ran to the nearest building and smashed my hand against the wall in hopes of getting it off but it didn't break! It didn't even scratch! The choir in my head began singing a different song; this time of sweltering pain and aggravation.

_PEEL IT OFF!_ The hissed in agony, _PEEL IT OFF! PEEL IT OFF PEEL IT OFF!_

I obeyed them and covered other hand with the sleeve of my gi and knocked it off my hand. Still wracking with the fire, I fell to my knees cradling my hand close to my chest. What the fuck was that! I crawled over to the bottle on my knees and rolled it over using a stick. On its front was a golden cross with tiny little lines of silver painted projecting from it like rays of sun. What? Why did that burn…?

_HOLY! _My maddening choir hissed, _ITS HOLY! DESTROY IT! DESTORY IT!_

Submissive once more, I stood and drew my katana from its sheath. Holy, eh?—So I _am_ God's enemy. He was out to vanquish me. Well, Lord, I'm not going anywhere.

I broke that piece of shit to pieces with one swing of my sword.

* * *

**A/N: **So ends another chapter of _See Red Again_. I had to redo this a couple of times because I didn't like how its flow. . I enjoyed writing Kenshin's first encounter with something Holy...heh, I could just picture that cute little redhead writhing with pain from it. . Oh yeah, to those who didn't realize it (or made the mental connection with this twisted author), the bar maid with the long black hair and sapphire eyes was Kaoru. Sorry... I really don't like her. She's kinda a ...biotch. lol.

**ELLIE 31773: **O.O;;; long enough? -doesn't wanna die yet-

**Kenji's Girl: . **you're very welcome. Ah, don't worry about it; no review is too long for moi.

**plutobaby494:** at the moment, he is

**Ame Ulan: **I know, I know. I was just a joke, no worries .- Hope you enjoyed this one! I hope I did this foreshadowing thing correctly... 0.0 -shuts mouth before she gives any more hints- >.>


	4. Hunter

**!Warning: Rated PG-13 for adult language!**

Chapter Four

I had been a vampire for a little over a month before I started realizing that what I had wasn't a gift: it was a curse. It suddenly donned on me, while watching two young lovers in the park at night, that I was alone and that I would always be alone. I was frozen in a still frame with a dead body and electrical pulses in my brain. I would never know what love was; and even if I did, she would die and I would live forever to wallow in the vast puddle of depression and heart break. I was a meager worm and a puppet to the devil…

Also I have a never ending ache somewhere in my body. It's difficult to explain…I can feel where it is but I don't know what or where it's located. I doubt that makes sense, but these days, what does? My skin feels like it did when I was first bitten; like paper. Every time I move my arms, when I walk, even when I blink, my pores scream with sweltering pain and cause me to stumble around. Even my gums burst like Roman Candles when I drain a victim, creating Hell for me later on. There were few times where I considered finding another bottle of Holy water and dumping it on me to end my misery, but that was a coward's way out! Suicide would never be the answer.

It was a bleak night in mid September; I walked along in the forest secluded in my own depression. Though my kill for the night filled me with temporary warmth, my veins were cold and my mind was dark.

I don't exactly know how long I had been staring at the water of the lake, nor how long ago I got there, but it suddenly donned on me that I had no reflection… I frowned as I tried to remember what I looked like. Blood red hair swept up in a high pony tail, bangs brushing in front of my bird-of-prey golden eyes, a flawless complexion; skin clear of blemishes or unsightly marks, a well built body, and short in height. I'm not sure if I had changed for better or worse but that was something I would never _ever_ know…

Then, I suddenly detected I was not alone…

I sat still, staring at the blank water as the ki of my intruder leapt around. _The trees_, I concluded mentally,_ He's in the trees…_ Sure enough, the leaves rustled in the windless night; energy flaring as he jumped from branch to branch. I felt cold eyes drilling in the back of my skull, intense with black hatred and desire to kill. This was no animal, my friend, only humans possessed this specific love to kill.

Ten minutes passed and seemed like fifteen years. Though the rustling stopped, I could still feel the eyes glowering daggers in the back of my head; contemplating if he should fight honorably or take the element of surprise and annihilate right then and there. When I shut my eyes, I could see two bright orbs staring at the back of my head with flaming revulsion.

I decided to end the tension…

"Good sir," I said, shattering the silence engulfing us, "I am aware of your presence, that I am, and I have been for sometime. Please, show yourself. There's not point anymore to hide from someone who clearly knows your existence."

Nothing moved, nothing breathed, and the energy I detected shot down low and tried to mask itself. I chuckled; this guy clearly had no idea who he was dealing with.

"Please sir, don't embarrass yourself or try to tell yourself I don't notice you because I do. Now show yourself, sir, let us talk…" This time, the trees rustled and the soft _plud_ of feet meeting the grass clouded from the earth. I smirked.

"Now, if you don't mind my asking," my voice was heavy in masked superiority, "Why were you watching me?"

"Because I've come to slay you," the intruder yelled in a voice that obviously belonged to a young female.

I whirled around, a little surprised, and took in the sight before me. It was the same girl from the other night, if I was correct. Her ki and her height were the same, and her voice sounded familiar, then again, I only heard her mutter. Though I could not see her countenance, for once again she was in the shadows.

"Oh have you?" I was skeptical, "I'd like to see that…" I stepped closer and she immediately fell into a fighting stance with her hand on the sword at her side. I laughed. "A mere blade won't kill me, Sweet Cheeks."

"Don't call me that!" She yelled, stomping her foot on the ground. How cute…

"Hmph…" I ran my fingers through my bangs haughtily, "Go home kid, you don't know who I am."

She growled and stepped into the dimly lit meadow. "I know you killed countless helpless people!" She said in a proud, confident voice; "In life and after it…"

I raised my eyebrow in question. How could she know? Does she know? I glanced up at her and froze at the sight. I couldn't help but stare at her; she truly was like nothing I've ever seen before. Her frame looked like that of a wooden board and she really had nothing to brag about when it came to her chest, but her eyes were mystifying. They were heterochromatic (each eye a different color). Her left eye was a deep, sapphire blue with threads of silver embroidering her iris; the right eye was a green so deep it would put even the most precious emerald to shame. Her face was young and fresh but within those deep, heterochromatic eyes was hate boiling over the edge. Whether I was the core of it or someone else, I did not know.

"What do you mean," I began slowly after I pulled myself out of those bewitching eyes, "_After it_?"

She spat and lifted her chin high. "Don't play coy with me," she hissed, "I know what you are!"

I became intrigued. "Oh?" I mocked, "Then what am I, Fair Maiden?"

Her eyes darkened and her face grew grave. "A vampire…" she whispered as if the very words were toxic to pass her lips.

Ah, she's smart! Bravo—

"And not a very bright one at that!"

I glowered. Excuse me madam? Not _bright!_

"What kind of idiotic pawn of Satan would touch _Holy Water_?"

"Pardon me," I interrupted acidly, "I happen to be atheist. I do not partake in affairs of religion so how would I know what holy water looked like."

She laughed. Not a laugh of amusement; a laugh of _superiority_. _My_ laugh.

I sneered, "I fail to see what is so funny—"

"You're a pathetic excuse for a ghoul," she chuckled, "I image this won't take me long." From her side she exposed a leather grip about half a foot long. Then, with the click of a button on the end, a long, ominous silver stake spat out from the other end. Etched deep into metal were Latin inscriptions and crucifixes. I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that could kill me. "Go back to Satan you foul leech!" She cried and ran at me, eyes blazing.

I kept my guard up and waited for the last moment to react. She was about a foot or so away from me when her foot slipped on a river stone and sent her flying into me with her stake sailing right into the river. Acting on impulse, I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist and fell back as she hit me with full force and hit my head on an exposed tree root. Stunned for a moment, I was caught in a parallel world of daze and abstract until the softness of the rise and fall of breathing against my chest brought me back.

I shook my head and blinked a few times to filter my vision back and was greeted by a mass of black, glossy locks spilling onto my chest. For some reason I felt exhilarated and energized; like a child with a sugar high. The smell of lilac perfumed my nostrils with pleasant sensations.

"My head…" she murmured, pushing herself away from me, but I refused to remove my arms from the small of her back. Realization crept back into her mind when her eyes scanned up my torso to my face.

I smirked.

She panicked.

Quickly she dug her palms into my pectorals and shoved herself on her buttocks and scrambled away. An expression of shock mixed with embarrassment and fright painted itself in an interesting fashion on her face. I sat up, amused with her bold terror, and rose to my feet where I loomed a good four heads over her. "Are you frightened?" I asked mockingly, "Frightened of a '_pathetic excuse for a ghoul'_?"

"I'm not afraid of you!" She stated firmly, but I wasn't fooled; I could feel the tremors in her spine. She was afraid. She was _deathly_ afraid.

Smirking, I walked over to her, causing her to press herself against a tree further as I offered her a hand. "I won't kill you, sweet cheeks." I said sincerely, "Don't be afraid." She glared up at me, her face contorting with abhorrence as her hands ran across her belt. I raised an eyebrow. "Will you take my hand or not? All I wish to do is help you up—"

From out of her belt, she pulled out a flask decorated with spikes and skulls, bit off the topper and splashed its contents in my face which suddenly combusted. I kid you not, my face _actually caught fire_. I shrieked demonically and flew backwards, cradling my face in my arms, twisting and turning in god forsaken pain. Static and drills roared in my ears and the Voices all shrieked and hiss in never ending torture. Low frequency gurgles turned into human screams and instantly gained pitch to an ear bleeding shriek. God, what…what is this pain! IS THIS EVEN PAIN! No, no, no, no, no…pain didn't even come close to putting a dent in what I was feeling. This was something…that just could not be described in one word.

I fell to my knees, my flesh singeing, blistering, and sloughing off as black smoke lifted from my pores. God I couldn't even see! _Stupid bitch!_ I screamed in my mind; _that stupid, God-damned, revolting harlot! I'll fucking kill her! I'll put her through the worst hell imaginable and drain her fucking vessels dry! I'll make sure there's nothing left of her! Stupid bitch!_

She took advantage of my paralyzed state and took off, running for her life. Smart, incredibly smart, for I don't care if I was suffering after death I was going to make her life hell if she stayed around a fucking second longer. Stupid bitch…**stupid fucking bitch.** But oddly enough, even as I stood there in ultimate hell, I couldn't help but think of those eyes… those horrible, sweet, soul-sucking eyes… And as I became lost in static pain and drilling suffrage, my mind came across one conclusion: I would kill her. And make it messy…

So help her God.

**

* * *

****AN: Yeah, as you can tell, this was _quite_ heavy in cursing. I'm sorry if you have a problem with it but I believe it adds more emotion and character to the writing; and every good author knows that every work (especially in 1st person) should have voice/character. . so, so sorry if you don't like swearing. Just say 'bleep' when you don't want to read the word. lol**

**Plutobaby494: **I'm sorry, I have no intentions of blending this into his rurouni days. :( sorry.

**tyker101**: I'm sorry it wasn't your taste. But please_, constructive_critism. Thank you.

**Minoru Kimori**:I beg to differ, my dear Jessie, it was incredibly random... 0.0 burning butterflies? intriguing...

**ELLIE 31773: **. thank you! hee hee! Yush, I know I rock. lol jk ;)

**Ame Ulan: **No kiddin'? Awesome. lol. Yes, for some reason, I just think Catholisism is a perfect religion to put in a Vampire story. I don't know why...O.o Nope, sorry, Kaoru nor Tomoe will be making an appearance in this fanfiction (unless Kenshin goes back to a bar where kaoru works XD), Tomoe might make a brief appearance though. I haven't decided. And I should shut up more before I unveil spoilers that I'm oh-so tempted to spew.

**Thank you all who reviewed! I love all of them and I thrive off of them! No review is too long or too short! Keep 'em coming guys! 3**


	5. Vanquished?

Chapter Five

I'm beginning to understand why I'm called a _Night stalker;_ I followed Miss Heterochromatic home one night and since then I've been watching every night. Whether I was anticipating the correct moment to strike or how to execute my revenge I didn't know, but from what I saw from out her bedroom window, I was debating if I should do away with her.

My observation of her being as flat as a board was discarded when she slipped into her night yukata. The vivid image of her curves sent me back against the trunk of the tree I was hiding in. Sometimes she decided to sing herself to comfort, and when she did, my heaven separated from my body in Hell and floated up to heaven where I swear the seraphs were singing along with her. For a while I considered making her an animated corpse such as myself so that she would be mine for eternity.

But I wasn't going to let her slide by like that. Though it would be torturous to be a vampire at the same time it was a luxury, and one I was not willing to grant to her. Maybe I could slowly dismember her limb by limb, or shred off her skin and soak her in brine, or better yet claw out her eyes and push her in a dark room of horrible creatures that only Satan could spawn. Yeah…I liked that.

One night, while I sat in a tree outside her bedroom window and watching her sharpen her katanas and say her prayers, I relaxed on a branch, putting my hands behind my head and crossing my ankles out in front of me.

"As I lay me down to sleep," she murmured softly, "I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And if I should die before I wake—"

I smirked.

"—I pray the Lord my soul to take."

"_Oh baby,"_ I thought,_ "When I'm done with you, not even the Lord of Flies will take your soul."_ I chuckled lightly to myself, unaware that she held a strange, wondering gaze out her window pane. Quickly, I hushed and froze; I didn't even blink.

"_Did she hear me?"_ I asked the Voices, hoping me they'd sing me my desired answer, but they remained quiet, the sound of water gently rushing downstream was the only sound in my head. Often times, it soothed me, other times, like now, the sound drove on my nerves and it was all I could do to not scream for an answer.

Isn't it lovely?—insanity. You claim you do not hear voices when confronted, but when they do not answer you, you scream and demand and answer.

I kept still and quiet for what seemed to be an eternity, even the sweat drop on the tip of my nose refused to fall. I held her blind, searching eyes in mine, stitches of anticipation and tension formed in intricate knots in the small of my back. Pressure mounded as the tension knots gathered and grew; I tried not to lose it.

I sighed as she began to turn away from the window. Relief and relaxation washed over me like a gentle hand from a Goddess above. But as fate would have it, from the nerves bundling and knotting and stitching in my back…

…I twitched…

I jerked to the side, my right side contracting at the sudden jolt from my nerves and caused me to fall right out of the tree and onto another confounded tree root. As fast as a flash, the window I had been gaping into shot open and out popped Miss Heterochromatic's head. She looked from me to the tree and back. After she quickly put the pieces together, she screamed down at me. "Curse you, devil! You will regret this night!"

I chuckled dryly but flinched from the pain in my head. "I fear I am already cursed, Sweet Cheeks!" I called to her, "And from what I've been seeing, I will _never_ regret this night!"

"Then I shall make you forget it!" Before I could ask her what she meant, she swung her legs out of the window and jumped down with a sword at hand. I arched an eyebrow and rose to my feet.

"And just what are you planning on doing with that, Sweet Cheeks?" I asked blandly.

"Stand still and you'll find out!" She charged at me, sword held up and swung right at my head. Acting on impulse, I ducked and swerved around behind her. In the blink of an eye, she was in my face again, swinging and slashing like crazy. She moved so fluidly, so swiftly that if I wasn't already dead, I'd fear a _messy_ death.

"You can't kill me, Mademoiselle!" I cackled in a mock French accent, "For I am—"

"TAKE THIS!" She smirked and shoved her sword in my chest cavity and pierced the dead organ in my chest.

Everything got quiet and time seemed to stop. Not even the Voices made or the sound of rushing water could be heard. Everything went black except for the woman in front of me with the sick and twisted smirk on her face. Her eyes lit up with malevolence and she thrust the blade further through me until I felt the ripping of flesh on my back and bones shattering in my shoulder. The blood I have drained from my victims dispersed from my mouth in a frothy, red waterfall. Then she twisted the sword to the side and yanked it out. Then senses filtered back; pain, sound, perception, and sight. I shrieked and gurgled and fell silent. I crumbled to my knees and fell on my side. My eyes slowly ventured up to be held in the wicked gaze of the siren who I had sworn to kill.

She laughed and walked away.

* * *

Did I fail to mention I suffer from frequent acute writer's block? Well I do. I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK MY FOREVER TO GET THIS UP! I couldn't find inspiration. We stopped out Poetry unit in English which usually inspired me to write something dark and retaliate against all of the happy, luffy-duffy poems and bullshit out there and open up the eyes of people who I hate and who are ignorant to the darker side of life. ANYWAY! I am also sorry about the length of this, I'm not very good at writing long chapters ;.

Is Kenshin finshed!


	6. Scarred

**Rated PG-13 for violence, graphic descriptions, language, and cute things dying. Those with weak stomachs, grab a bucket.**

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Chapter Six 

Sirens…I kept hearing sirens. Their voices were so beautiful and calming. Their words, though I did not understand, formed an abstract cloud of imaginary salve and brushed it over me, dousing the fire deep within my chest. I felt as if a silvery being was lifted right from my body and swirled around me before flying to the heavens. Then, suddenly, I realized the pumping of my chest and the cool oxygen drawing deep within my lungs. Then a pounding in my chest—heartbeat. Was I alive?

Another celestial voice massaged my ears, drawing my eyes to be cast upward. There, kneeling in clouds and playing harps, were beautiful seraphs with large, powerful feathery wings. I gasped at the serene scene… This inner peace…this feeling of comfort…was it mine now?

"Kenshin, my son," a deep, soft voice called over the siren's song and the seraph's melody, "Come to me."

Startled, I looked around in search of who had said that. From the corner of my eye I saw a man, slightly taller than I, with neat blonde hair and blazing blue eyes standing in the middle of a valley of green grass, flowers and butterflies; wearing purple robes, bidding me to come to him. I obeyed, wondering who he could be.

"You have been cheated, Kenshin," he said gently, laying his hands upon my shoulders, "What you see, is not what you will have…not yet anyway."

"Is this…heaven?" I asked dumbly, glancing around at the gorgeous sights.

He nodded. "But you are not dead."

"I'm not?"

"Nor are you alive. You know this…"

I chuckled bitterly to myself, remembering the ghoul that I have become. "Um…duh."

He either ignored my attitude or didn't catch it. "Do you want release? Do you want this?" He asked gently, spreading his arms and gesturing to the magnificent valleys of angels and spirits.

I drew in a deep breath, feeling a tingle of warmth in my heart. "Could…I really have this…? Me…? Even though I'm a—"

"Of course, my son, anyone can have this. You just need to do one thing."

I looked at him hopefully, "What's that? I'll do anything."

A glint shone in his eyes; not a warm, understanding one…but something malevolent and ethereal. "Kill the one who sent you here."

I blinked, caught off guard. "Kill?"

He nodded. "In order for a being of darkness to receive a place in the Holy Lands, he must condemn a soul destined for here and kill them so that he may take their place."

Confused of what I was being told, I tried to put the pieces together as logically as I could but failed miserably. "Wait a moment, why is a messenger of Heaven telling me _to kill_? I thought it was a sin and—"

The color in his eyes changed from that of a serene ocean blue, to chaotic red with bright yellow circling his pupil in a solid circle. "Who ever said I was a messenger of heaven?" Instantly, the calm fields, angels, sirens, and music ripped away like camouflage to expose fiery pits of black silhouettes being whipped with spiky whips by flying imps cackling evilly. Geysers of fire exploded in random places, scorching and roasting any fool who was stupid enough to stand near it. Harpies flew in a forest and pecked at trees with shrieks emitting from the branches, souls walked around engulfed in flame and wailed with anguish. Where was I? What was this?

"Where am I?" I screamed, absolutely horrified at what my eyes drank it, "Who are YOU?"

"I am your master!" He screamed, his flesh turning blacker than the night and transformed to the texture of that of a lizard, "You are my puppet! You will do as I say! Kill the harlot who pierced your heart and envelope the world in MY DARKNESS!"

Realization crept into my mind as I began to discover who I was in front of. Slowly, I lowered to my knees and bowed my head; my dark maker; MY divine authority…

"Don't you come here again, you maggot!" he screamed, "You were pierced in the heart by a blade! It doesn't effect you just stuns you and sends you back here! If you get pierced by a stake, you're fucked. Don't let ANYONE close enough to pierce you with anything. YOU ARE MINE! YOU WILL DO AS I SAY!" He then clasped his palm on my forehead and muttered in a language so horrifying, I prayed I would never hear it again. A black aura silhouetted me as I felt my veins expand with a cold-hot flow streaming through them. I felt power…absolute power.

"DON'T YOU COME BACK HERE!" He commanded and stepped back, eyeing me up and down. "Or I will feast upon you…" He, and the nightmare surrounding him faded black…

0-0-0-0-0-0-

I jerked wide awake, nearly jumping out of my paper skin. I put my hand to my chest, there was a hole there, that's for sure, but my skin bubbled and crawled over my hand in attempt to close it up. I pulled my hand away and shuddered at the strange feeling. My mind snapped back to the previous event with Satan. Had it been a dream? Or did it really happen? I couldn't tell. Everything seemed so surreal but then again, it was incredibly real; too real.

Dream or not I liked the idea of Miss Heterochromatic dead as dust. I smirked and stood and stumbled around. I leaned against a building until my legs were strong enough to hold myself up. Then; I went off into the night to find her.

0-0-0-0-0-0-

I was disappointed at the end of three weeks; I hadn't found her and she hadn't found me. I was quite shocked that she wasn't skilled enough to track me down. I mean, come _on._ I only left the most obvious signs of my passing. Or maybe she was just used to seeing petrified, disemboweled civilians with two bleeding punctures on the side of their neck. Geez… maybe what they say about beauty and brains is right.

I was out and about at twilight, which is rather unusual for me because I normally waited until it is pitch black to go on the prowl. But I was incredibly thirsty; the blood lust picked at the back of my head like a fierce rat feasting on a cat's gushing wound. Heh…lovely simile it is, no?

I stalked a young, able boy, could be no older than fourteen. He was strong, his torso bragged about it with his gi partly open to flaunt his golden skin. His neck muscles bulged with the pride of his fit body that the ladies were no doubt crazy about. He'd be perfect. I liked the way proud blood tasted.

I closed in on him, casually walking behind him with my arms folded across my chest, hands inside sleeves, and head bowed so that the darkest of shadows hid my eyes. I smirked, my left fang resting on my bottom lip. I could just taste him…

He must've heard me scuffling along behind him for his head turned slightly to look over his shoulder and his pace quickened. Oh, he may look tough, but this guy was a coward. I could smell the fear he gave off of him. I laughed inwardly, and kept my calm, steady stepping.

The boy rounded a corner and ran, fleeing for his dear life. Strong, cowardly, but smart. Oh yes, very smart. Few showed caution around me when I didn't reveal myself to them, but this kid wasn't taking any chances. Bravo young lad! Bravo.

He turned down an alley (why the hell do they always do that?) and leaned against a building to catch his breath. The fool probably thought he lost me and was safe; Poor, sad, ignorant fool. While he was running from me, I jumped up on the roof tops and followed him ever so quietly and predicted he turn down into that alley…and that's where I waited for him.

"Frightened?" I asked walked out of the shadows in which I hid.

A gasp tore from the boy's lips, sending him stumbling a few paces and ended up falling on his ass. Terror, _sheer_ terror screamed in his eyes. I could see his life pass in his eyes. Quite boring, really.

"Who-who are you?" He stuttered in a cracking voice belonging to a boy that's just going down that glorious road to manhood known as puberty. "Wh-what do you want!"

I smiled charmingly and offered him a chuckle. "I am Nohbdy," I said, quoting Odysseus from Homer's epic the Odyssey. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

The boy seemed skeptical. "Why have you been following me?"

An expression of shock etched on my face. "Me? Following you? I don't believe I'm guilty of such a thing."

"I SAW YOU!" He yelled pointing an accusing finger at me. "I SAW YOU BEHIND ME!"

I shook my head. "Young lad, I assure you I wasn't following you," I lifted my head slightly so that the dim light from the window beside us illuminated my golden eyes. "I prefer the term _stalking_ over _following._" I smirked. "It suits my intentions nicely."

His blue eyes widened and pupils contracted to tiny beads. "St-stalking…?

I laughed. Laughed heartily, my fangs drawing out to their full size as I did so, his eyes growing so wide I thought they'd pop right out of his head. I grabbed him by the front of his gi and lifted him up so he could see my face.

He was shaking violently. "Those…those eyes," he shrieked in horror.

"You know who I am?" I asked, still laughing like a madman.

He nodded. "You're…you're Hitokiri the Manslayer! Battousai!"

I smiled. "Ah, you _are_ smart." I opened my mouth to its extent, my fangs large and itching for the sweet crimson. Savoring the fear of the boy and of the picturesque moment, I lowered to his neck, the tips of my incisors poking the soft flesh.

The disgusting, inhuman gargle that snakes up through my throat every time I'm about to feed hissed into his ears and I bit down. And then—

"STOP!"

I stopped, pulling away from the boy and snapped my head to the direction from which the scream came. It was her…

She stood in the orange glow of a torch, her heterochromatic eyes spilling revulsion and vengeance onto the street. She held a crucifix in her right hand. Her eyes showed a mix of surprise and fear. "How are you—"

I smirked and dropped the kid, who scrambled farther back into the shadows, and took two steps towards her. "Ah, milady," I greeted in the most polite, charming voice I could muster, "You catch me at a bad time."

"Choke on your tongue devil," she spat thrusting the crucifix up at me, "I killed you."

"Hardly," I said casually, "It's called a _stake_ for a reason, love. A crummy sword won't do any good on me."

"Then I'll learn from that mistake!" She yelled throwing the torch on the ground beside her and taking a wooden stake from one of her belts. "I'll eliminate you this time!"

"Eliminate," I repeated, "That's a good word. Considering I'm already dead and I can't be killed so—WHOA NOW!" She ignored my rambling and ran at me; the cross now in her left hand and a stake in her right. She came at me, running at my chest with stake aimed perfectly. If I hadn't grabbed her wrist and dodged her swing, I'm sure I would've been "eliminated".

She snaked around, pulling her wrist out of my hand and plowed me into the side of the building. My eyes contracted and bared my fangs with that demonic hiss. She lifted her chin, unmoved by incoherent threats and shoved the cross on my face. I screamed, or shrieked, or whatever the hell that high pitched thing that came out of my mouth was. It felt as if I was being lit on fire with thousands of heated katanas stabbing my face. It wasn't too long before I saw smoke and smelt the foul stench of burning dead flesh that I once enjoyed.

Through the smoke and haze, I managed to see that smirk on her face; the smirk of victory. The smirk I used to wear proudly. Anger from being wounded burned inside of me, the hurt of being tormented by this woman who had me enchanted only added to the fire. It was then, when I felt absolutely dead and alone.

I collected the remained strength I had to shove her away from me. (It must've been a pretty hard shove for I heard a crash, barrels breaking, and a loud grunt followed by chopped yet fluid swears.) I slapped a hand over my face and stumbled out of the alley, crashing into the last remaining people on the street. The fire burned on and on with no end in sight. With every step I took, the hotter and brighter it stung, the smell of burning flesh still assaulted my nostrils.

I crashed through the forest, my right hand swinging around in front of me to knock whatever possibly could be in my way. My ears searched for the sound of running water. I needed something to counter this pain. Anything.

After thousands of seconds, my ears twitched to the sound of a creek. To the north I tore recklessly, the consistent burning biting, feasting, decomposing my once beautiful face. I tripped over a stone and fell to my knees in flooded grass. I felt around, my hand splashing in the marshy grass until it slapped against the cold water of the creek. Without hesitation, I dunked my head in. The fire only got worse. I screamed as loud as I could. No bubbles surfaced from my agonizing shrieks due to no oxygen within my lungs. I pulled my head out and crawled backwards.

For the love of all things sacred, SOMEONE DOUSE THIS PAIN!

I heard rustling through the grass. Fuck she was back. I pulled myself up and limped away until my legs could carry me no farther. I fell face first I the dirt. Tears streaked my burning and blistered face. My fists balled up and clutched the grass tightly. I suddenly wished I was a child so that my mother would run to me and hold me, telling me everything was going to be okay and that she'd take care of me. But there was no comfort. There was no warmth to be found. No sympathy, no compassion, no nothing. The tears fell harder. What went wrong!

Something cold and wet pressed itself gently against my face and ran down my cheeks, followed by a gust of moist wind. I opened my eyes and looked up, standing before me was a deer. A beautiful deer it was. Large eyes gaped into mine carelessly and without fright; only with the concern of this breathless man laying face first in the dirt. I reached up and gripped its side and pulled myself up to my knees. The deer moved closer to me, sniffing my face and searching me for more burns. I smiled slightly for this tender concern but the pain of the fire of the Holy Cross still burned. I looked at the deer…and an idea swept over me.

I pulled my arm around the deer and pulled it closer as if to give it a hug.

"Hello little creature," I whispered, "Are you worried about me?" As if to respond, it sniffed my cheek and gave my nose a quick flick of its tongue in a kiss. I chuckled. "There, there…" my hand slowly reached for my katana, "There's no need to worry any longer. I'll be fine."

It shook its head and seemed to smile at me with its large doe eyes. It almost broke my heart to do what I did next…almost.

I ripped my katana from its sheath and brought it down on the deer's back, slicing it in half. Its blood sprayed all over me, the little spots on my face where the drops landed were instantly cooled. I hastily shoved my hands into its innards and rubbed my bloody palms all over my face to sooth the burning. The fire slowly began to fade with the touch of this crimson salve.

More and more I slathered on my face until it was nearly bled dry and I covered in its blood. I fell on my back, exhausted and worn, open to any attack. Tiny blood droplets ran off of my skin and pooled beneath me, soothing all my muscles and slowly restoring my lost energy.

I lay there, staring at the forest canopy and the starless sky deep in thought. How funny the world is. I was given a sword, taught how to use it, and then ordered to kill. And kill I did. I killed all my targets and then some, basking in the glory of being feared and soaking in the limelight of being the best. The splash of blood against my skin only made the madman inside me peak out more. Wanting to kill, kill, kill, kill and kill. It drove me to the brinks of insanity, slashing and random people, embedding my sword between their ribs and ripping my sword up through their shoulder _just_ to hear the sound of their bones shatter as my katana cut through them. Then, my world was changed when the Tribal Man infected me with this disease to kill me and reanimate my body after death, driving me for the nectar of life: blood. I no longer enjoyed the feel of blood spraying me; it was the cursed fluid that kept me in this living dead prison. But I couldn't stop hunting for it; I couldn't just ignore that voice in the back of my mind telling me to feed. No matter how hard I tried…

I was brought out of my sedated mind when I felt the presence of her coming back. I could feel the anger and triumph burning through her veins. Fear of the burning pain wretched my stomach and kicked my muscles back into action, causing me to get off the ground and head for my lair where I knew she wouldn't come near. I fled as fast as I could, leaving her to the sight of the disemboweled deer.

Her scream tore through the night and rooted in my ear.

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**A/N : As I've said; I have HORRIBLE writer's blocks and I believe the first half of this story proves it! I rewrote this chapter at least three times and not really proud with the way it turned out but I had to post something to show I was alive.I'm sorry if I offended and religious people out there, I wasn't trying to at all and you have my sincere apologies. As for the readers who didn't like it, I'm sorry for that as well. It's a lot better than the first version though > in the first version Kenshin got in a fight with an old demon who quoted Dante Alighieri. **

**plutobaby494: **sorry it wasn't soon enough!

**ELLIE31773: **:) hope you like.


	7. Annihilated

**Rated PG-13 for language, gore, and death**

* * *

Chapter Seven 

The bitch branded me; that stupid, god damned infernal harlot destroyed my face. Dominating my entire left cheek was a scar; the most hideous scar I've seen in my life. It doesn't look fully like the cross she burned me with, but you can sure as hell tell that there was something along the lines of a crucifix on my face. I stared at it…hideous. She'd pay…oh hell yes she would pay. But didn't I always say that? 'She'll pay' is the very thing I've said every time I faced off with her but she always, ALWAYS, got the upper hand and threw something holy on me. Maybe I should stop saying 'She'll pay' and actually _make her pay_. But how?

It was a stormy day, the sky blotted out by ominous black thunderheads which housed God's infernal wrath to Satan's wretched urchins. The bolts of his fury waited inside their vessels, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Low rumbles of their anticipation grumbled through the plains and forests, dying out before it could warn the small village I decided to hide in. For the first time, I wasn't thirsty. The very thought of blood made my mouth sticky and pasty. I could go for some sake but that just made my mouth soupy and vile tasting. Is there an end to the infernal tortures?

I remained beneath a patch of trees in dense shadow, plotting on every detail to make that bitch suffer. Maybe I could lure her away from everyone (which wouldn't be hard for I noticed that women seemed seduced by me without me doing anything) and shave off her flesh with my sword and leave her to rot and writhe in the dirt. Or, I could creep into her room while she was asleep, kneel on her bed like an INCUBUS and wait for her to wake up, and when she did, I'd cut narrow slits on her lower lids and rip apart that pretty face. I decided if I wanted any revenge, I would have to find out where the fuck she was first… I got up and began walking around through town.

After a few hours of biting my lip from the intense pain of burning from the sun, I found or learned nothing of the whereabouts of Miss Heterochromatic. I stopped on a corner to contemplate on what do to next when my ears picked up on a conversation a few feet from where I stood.

"Beautiful eyes," a man breathed dreamily, "I've never seen anything like them before."

I wonder…

"What made them different from the rest?" Another man asked, clearly skeptical.

"They were different; each a different color!"

It was! Yes, keep talking my little rat catcher…

"You were probably just seeing things."

"No! I wasn't! One eye was the deepest shade of green I'd ever seen! And the other was as blue as the clear waters of the sea. I could've stared into them forever…"

"What's her name?"

I listened closely. "Um…I don't remember…"

_FOOL!_

"She just began talking to me; asking me if I knew the Battousai was or if I'd seen him."

"He's alive?"

_Kinda…_

He shrugged and continued with a troubled, mesmerized voice. "I thought he died a few months ago; or at least vanished but you never know with the imperialists; or at least _that _particular one." He sighed, "In any case, I wonder if this girl was connected with him in anyway?"

_Yeah! The bane to my very miserable existence!_

"What? She's probably some whore who had his child."

I had to shudder at that; the thought of that bitch having my child was utterly sickening.

"She did not look like any hooker!" He hissed sharply, "Besides, the look in her eyes was…intense. She looked deeply angry…"

Since I wasn't getting any _useful_ information, I decided to step in, momentarily forgetting about my scar. "Excuse me…" I began with an oily voice. The two turned towards me and jumped with a mix of shock and fear.

"Battousai—" they stuttered at the same time.

I nodded and offered them a shallow bow. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation of Hetero—" I paused and quickly thought of a name, "Sakura…?" I offered, hoping they wouldn't catch my lie.

The man who had first brought her up spoke timidly. "Y-yes sir."

"She is looking for me?" I couldn't hide a smirk.

The second man arched an eyebrow at me. "Yes, sir, she is." The first said, completely oblivious to the grin on my lips.

"Did she say where she was going?"

"No sir."

I growled. Their muscles stiffened in fear that I would slice them in half. "Did you see which way she went?"

He reflected back to their meeting, carefully going every detail. His friend behind him began to become nervous under my stone glare and started to move anxiously. "I believe she went north…" the man said carefully, "From the florist's corner shop."

Excellent; he didn't give me that much information, but it was enough to get an idea on where she was going. "Thank you, gentlemen," I said quietly. I gave them a shallow bow and pushed past them, slipping a few yen in his hand for his help. My eyes glittered with the reflection of the gruesome thoughts of ripping her gorgeous body into bloody shreds. I'll make her pain… I'll make her cry and beg for the death of a maggot.

I stopped in front of the florist's shop and shut my eyes in concentration. The Voices murmured enchanted versus in my mind and deliberated on further actions. My sense of smell flared and scouted out for her smell; any odor, even the faintest, would lead to her demise. I waited, ignoring the eyes drilling into my skull as people walked by, glancing at me with caution. Suddenly, the Voices screamed and shrieked, snapping my eyes open and telling me to run forward; she wasn't too far ahead, no more than a few miles. I tore off through the town like a blur, shoving people out of the way and into random objects lining the streets.

I leaped into the trees in the forest and bounded from branch to branch, ignoring the numbing cuts and scrapes the branches inflicted me was I brushed by. Her scent was getting stronger; I could _taste_ her. My lips tingled with the thought of her blood dripping in luscious, warm drops. My fingers twitched and throbbed with the urge to dig into her soft neck and disembowel her through her throat and digging my nails into her cheeks to peel off her face in neat and fine threads. How DARE she brand me?

I came to an abrupt stop just at the edge of the forest and gazed upon a small town with gray buildings with black smoke rising from a chimney. The Voices screamed and sweltered as my eyes scanned each building, trying to see any infrared body heat that would lead me to my prey. My ears listened for the faintest sound of footsteps on the gravel, the softest swish of clothing, and even the gentlest sound of a heartbeat thumbing deep within a ribcage. I could feel her there, somewhere, but all I detected was the scratching of rats inside a stone wall and then—a flicker of red dashed before my infrared vision and disappeared. Found her… I smirked and raced off to find her.

I dashed through the long, dry grass to the dirt of the small town and scanned the area. It was a quaint little town but it would give anyone in their right mind a nightmare. Buildings modeled in Western fashion slouched to one side with wooden roves singed black with holes in the walls and windows and doors boarded up. Grass grew wildly in dead patches and covered walkways to the front door and devoured the rotting wood of picket fences. To the far northwest of the town was a large black iron gate with metal bars twisted and twined above a gate to spell out 'Cemetery'. The gate creaked back and forth in the wind and made a shiver run down _my _spine. Headstones within it were demolished and tilted into awkward angles as beautiful statues crumbled to rubble and mausoleums gave warning of caving in on the spot. Beside the cemetery was the creepiest looking church every to be constructed. It was narrow and tall with a tower steeping high into the air with a rusted black bell hanging in a chamber. The stained glass windows were broken or reflected intricate designs on the lawn before it. Inside, you could see the dust hang suspended in the air from the narrow strips of light that seeped through. The whole place had an eerie, _evil_ feel to it. Why Heterochromatic would hide here, I would never know. Was she trying to lure me in?

I stepped forward, jumping over the rotting fence and carefully approached the front doors. Aware that I was on holy ground, I wondered if I should just wait outside for her to come out but when I reached up and grabbed the door handle and felt no agonizing burn, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Still, no punishment from God forced me out of His house… the church was obviously abandoned by God or was never meant to worship him. I walked along the creaky floor boards down the aisle between the pews. Several of them had scattered pages of hymns thrown about the seats with the legs broken on one side causing them to slant to one side. At the very back of the church was a small podium bathed in a circle of light from the magnificent stained glass window behind it. The window was designed to look like a man in a white tunic with a red sash draping around him with a circlet of light around his head. I raised an eyebrow at it and assumed it had to do with a Western religion.

"Come out; come out wherever you are…" I said quietly with amusement lacing my voice, "I can see you hiding…" I casually left out that I didn't know _where_ she was hiding but I knew she was in the building.

There was a rush of steps and a soft gust of wind to my left. I whirled around just in time to see a pale arm tuck itself behind a gothic looking statue of a veiled lady cradling an infant. I casually slid over there and jumped atop the statue and gazed down at the narrow spaces between the wall and the statue: there she was. Her back pressed against the wall, chest heaving up and down with her little heart thumping away in my ears. Her right hand was folding against her chest with a wooden stake tightly in her grasp in a silver cross hanging around her neck. I chuckled darkly to myself, debating on if I should just stay perched and watch her until she notices me or if I should ease her anxiety and show myself before her. I decided to make her sweat awhile.

I stared at the top of her glossy black head, trying to breech the security system that enveloped her mind to see what she was thinking. I poked and pressed at every little spot but to no avail. I frowned: I never met anyone with advanced barriers around her mind. She must be one paranoid chick…

I finally pressed a weak point in her mind and immediately dove in with thousands of thoughts rushing to my ears in her gentle voice.

_Where is he? Did he leave? No I can still feel him; but where? Does he know where I am? Why doesn't he just show up? Oh god… please god, protect me through this fight…_

I cackled softly to myself; she _was_ afraid. I indulged deeper into the wells of her mind.

_Stay calm, Athame, don't be frightened…_

"That's a lovely name…" I said aloud, not able to contain myself anymore, "Athame…"

She looked up to see my eyes pierce through hers. Shock painted itself on her face as she dove out from the narrow space and backed up into a pew. "How do you know my name?" She asked; her voice strong but her eyes frightened.

"I read your thoughts," I sat down on the statue and kicked my legs softly of the side, "You're terrified."

The look of outrage on her countenance was priceless. "HOW DARE YOU ENTER MY MIND?" She bellowed, squeezing her hands into tightly balled fists.

I jumped down from the statue and loomed over her darkly. "HOW DARE YOU BRAND MY BEAUTIFUL FACE?" I thrust a finger at the scar dominating my cheek with newfound rage ripping in my dead vessels.

To my surprise, instead of quaking with fear of my closeness and temper, she laughed. "Beautiful?" She cackled, "You're a bit vain for an animated corpse."

That was the completely wrong thing to say. The muscles in my hand stiffened as I slapped the back side of my hand across her cheek, sending her flying back and breaking a few pews in half. A pained groan followed by a string of fluid profanities slipped through the air. I was at her side in an instant and grabbed the front of her shirt to hoist her up in the air.

"You have a lot of nerve to speak to me like you do," I hissed, feeling the skin on my face stretch and thick veins bulge out from under my translucent flesh, "I will enjoy your demise!" Blood drizzled down from the corner of her mouth as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She felt limp in my grasp as if I had paralyzed her entire body.

I put my hand up to her cheek, running my finger down her jaw and traced her chin. "Pretty girl…" I breathed, "It's a shame; if I absolutely didn't hate everything about you; I wouldn't mind biting you and making you eternal with me…"

She glared at me and sputtered, "Fuck yourself, Devil." She growled and spat in my face.

Forgetting her enchanting face once again, my anger flared out like a phoenix. "Vile wretch," I boomed, placing my fingers beneath her left eye, "Filthy heathen! How dare you?" Slowly, I dug my nails into her soft flesh until blood dispersed from the punctures and drizzled down her cheeks, drawing a stifled yelp of pain. I could tell she was in more agony then she lead on. "I will rip you tonight!" I ran my fingers deeper into her face and tore down leisurely, severing her cheek in several pieces with large strips of flesh hanging from my fingernails. A tortured shriek tore from her pale lips and danced in my brain as the Voices cheered for more.

"God will protect me!" She screamed as her hands flung to my shoulders in attempt to push me off.

I laughed wickedly and tore my nails out then let her drop listlessly on the floor. "Oh my dear," I began suavely and delivered a nice hard kick of my foot into her torso, feeling a few ribs separate in two, "God has abandoned you." I grabbed her by the front of her shirt once more, intentionally breaking through her skin, and hoisted her up until she was just an inch or so away from my face. "You're cast from His love…" With half of my strength, I propelled her into a support beam on the opposite side of the church, causing the beam to splinter in two and the portion of the ceiling it was supporting to cave in on top of her. I glided swiftly over to her, kicking all of the boards aside and picked her up by her shoulders. Her head hung loosely about her shoulders as her body made an attempt to weigh me down from limp muscles. She moaned softly and struggled to lift her head. I decided to help her out a bit and lifted her chin to look at me and was greeted by the most evil glare I believe I had ever seen.

"You will burn in Hell, Battousai." She gasped, expelling blood from her mouth and cheek. My muscles stiffened; oh how her blood smelled so good. I felt my incisors lengthen without my consent in anticipation of tasting her. Oh how I wanted to indulge in her luscious veins and empty her body of the sweet liquid that made her so warm. But I couldn't! That would give her the easy way out… I wanted her to _suffer_ not to be _immortal_.

I kept staring into her gorgeous heterochromatic eyes, entranced in their hypnotic enigma. Did I want to kill her? What if I bit her and she would be mine? A gorgeous slave to the darkness forever on my arm…

_NO!_ the Voices hissed, _THE BITCH DIES! SHE DIES! SHE DIES! KILL HER! RIP HER! SHRED HER! BLEED HER! SHE DIES! SHE DIES! SHE DIES! KILL HER! KILL HER NOW!_

Yes! They were right! The bitch needs to die! After all she's done she dies tonight! "I may burn, my lady," I growled with utter revulsion, "But I will burn happily with knowing you were slaughtered by the battousai." I tossed her back against the statue of the woman and the baby. "You will regret ever waltzing with me." I lunged at her, landing on the wall beside her and perched with my nails embedded into the wood. My jaw dropped at least five times its normal length and expelled a high pitched shriek, a low, rumbling growl, and a normal scream out all in one with my teeth expanding to at least five inches. Terror wrote itself in five forms all over her face. She made an attempt to scramble away but the weakness of her legs made it impossible. All that she could do was to wait for her demise.

I leapt at her, placing my arms on either side of her and took one final look at the blue and green eyes that had be under her spell. "Enjoy eternity, _Athame_." Then, I ripped my katana from its sheath and slashed out her chest, spraying an array of blood droplets everywhere and a splatter on the face of the statue. Her arm shot up to grasp my forearm, then, lifelessly, fell to the floor.

I stared at her mangled corpse and into the graying eyes that stared back at me, terrified and beautiful. Pity, I thought, she would've made a lovely "bride." Placing my index and middle fingers on both eyes, I closed her eyelids and stood up. My eyes wandered the forsaken church as my mind brooded. This wasn't a church, if it were; I would've burned upon jumping over the gate, there was no way it could be a house of God. Perhaps it was a fake; designed to draw in weary Christian travelers to pray when they were really walking into a trap and were killed. Whatever its purpose, I didn't feel like brooding over it any longer. I took one last glance at Athame, my dreaded hunter, and left, flicking my sword sharply with my wrist to clean it off of blood and shoved it back in its sheath.

The sun was down. The sky was black; there were no stars and there was no moon. A suppressing fog slithered its way through the abandoned village and settled with an unsettling presence. I quickly left, not knowing why I felt so uncomfortable in its haze. I needed to leave; I was hungry, and I needed a feast.

* * *

**I am SO sorry about my lack of updating. I have been in an inspiring mood for writing, but it was all for different genres. Vampires in modern times but none in 1800s Japan. Sorry 'bout that, so thank **Rachee-Chan** for this chapter. If it weren't for her bugging me on AIM to write and give her spoilers, this probably wouldn't have gotten up anytime soon. YAY FOR RACHEE CHAN! Oh, and go check out her stories; she has vonderfull ideas for 'Midnight Cherry's Blossom'.**

**Anyway, I wasn't quite sure what to do with this chapter. I was going to make it where Kenshin is gathering information on Athame aka "Heterochromatic" but I wanted something gruesome. If you die-hard Japanese culture fanatics are saying "WAIT! Athame isn't a japanese name you ghoulish whore!" Well, its true. I was trying to find a perfect name for her so I looked up some Pagan terms and discovered "athame" whichis** _A witches black handled ritual knife. It is never used to cut anything. It is used to direct energy and occasionally to scribe runes and other symbols into candles. It is also used to dip into water to represent the union of the Goddess and the God in the great rite. The Magick knife. _**Yeah... anyway**

**Pardon any offence that you may have expierenced. It was unintentional and I am not out to piss anyone off; at least through my writing. If I were, I'd make it clear, lol. **

**Plutobaby494: **thank you. hee hee, I keep writing for people like you.

**ELLIE31773:** OO was it that bad?

**KenjisGirl: **danke!

**Ame Ulan: **Yeah, I noticed that too; neato spell check. I was all "TOTALLY NEATO!" lol. thank you! It's always nice to hear that someone likes my dark stories. lol. No, I don't read Anne Rice. I made an attempt to read "Vittorio(sp)" but that put me to sleep on the second page XD.

**Minoru Kimori: **you're odd, jessie... lol love ya, chick


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